BILLIY ELLIOT = Snoozefest- Page 2

[JamesBroadwayWiner]

Posted: 9/30/12 at 3:34pm

I absolutely loved the touring production.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 9/30/12 at 4:28pm

I also understand that they've made changes to tour since it was first sent out in 2010.

[THEATRICAL100]

Posted: 9/30/12 at 4:30pm

It sounded like The Letter & Electricity were altered when I saw it earlier this month. Billy seemed very tall and it was very obvious that Bily was holding back and couldn't hit the notes, which really took away the magic. I agree; the dresses in Expressing Yourself are a bit tacky. The song, in my opinion is a light part of a pretty "gritty" theme and while it should be a more upbeat song the dresses are out of place, and I'm not a fan of the dresses on tour. The set movement by performers was alright, but when tony got hurt but entered the scene pushing on the house unit, it was a little weird.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 9/30/12 at 4:35pm

They were still using an automated track when I saw the tour, but Billy's bed came in through the wings. Which billy did you see? If it Kylend Hetherington he's been playing the role far to long.

[THEATRICAL100]

Posted: 9/30/12 at 5:05pm

Zach Manske played Billy.

Posted: 9/30/12 at 8:34pm

zamedy
I loved the production at the Imperial Theatre but it sounds like WB can do with a big ? What were they thinking ? I can understand some descaling of a production but it sounds like that they were lazy with this one .

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 10/1/12 at 9:15am

My wife and I loved this show in Toronto several years ago.

We saw the national tour a couple weeks ago in Detroit, with 6 understudies. Not sure why they had so many on a Saturday night performance. We don't remember the pit being one guy with a electronic keyboard and recorded music.

It was lifeless and subpar dancing.

[tourboi]

Posted: 10/1/12 at 3:30pm

The tour has a band. Some travel and others are picked up locally. In many venues the band is back stage due to logistics. The conductor is the pit always. Look in your playbill.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 10/1/12 at 3:50pm

I *LOVED* BILLY ELLIOT each of the 5 times I saw it

[booth0882]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 6:04pm

Well the budget for the touring production (especially after it switched to a SETA rather than a production contract) is just a small fraction of that of the Broadway or West End production. With that comes, less experienced cast members and coinciding lower quality acting performances. The budget for the set it self, and scene changes gets cut, which results in fewer set pieces, and simpler movements of those pieces. And of course, you can only do so much as far as the actors moving things. There are rules of course about how much you can do that.

Then of course, with a touring production, you lose things like having elevators and traps built into the stage.

They also softened up the lines a bit by removing some of the swear words.

If I remember right, they also made some additional script and musical cuts.

I wouldn't be shocked to see the touring production post a closing notice in the next few months. I would be shocked to see it last through Spring 2013.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 6:12pm

It has bookings through the spring. And Networks is currently the tours producer so I wouldn't be surprised if they took it non- equity.

Updated On: 10/2/12 at 06:12 PM

[booth0882]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 6:15pm

That means absolutely nothing. Just because they have dates or theatres does not mean they won't close.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 6:24pm

Love the show, love the score, love the set (which is not confusing in the least if you're used to shows with unit sets) and love the choreography.

It was also hard to follow in part because the British/Scotish accents were SO THICK, perhaps TOO AUTHENTIC (Sorry if that makes me sound 'simple' and less wordly).

I saw the show in London and the accents were softened for the US productions.

Characters and entire scenes were completely unnecessary.

Which characters and which scenes? I saw the show several times and can't recall a single character or scene that did not support the plot or the theme.

And the cross-dressing best friend who apparently has a crush on Billy? What??!

I take it you're unfamiliar with the film.

Solidarity is one of the most ingenious production numbers I've seen in the past 15 years. I loved Next to Normal, which was a cathartic show for me, and would have a difficult time choosing between the two if I were a Tony voter as I loved them both for very different reasons mainly because they are very different shows written for very different reasons.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 6:54pm

Billy Elliot is a singular a excellent piece of theatre, which is defined by choreography that is as good and better as anything I have seen on stage anywhere else, Peter Darling is a ingenious.

Scores are going to be scaled back, a producer cannot afford to hire a tour theater for 3 months, for just a weeks engagement, just to excavate the floor so Billy Elliot bed and kitchen can rise up, to match the Broadway show, the same happens with the Lion King with the 'rock' pushed in from the wings, this is a reality with tours you are never going to get a exact replica of Broadway.

[booth0882]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 6:57pm

I wouldn't say the choreography is as good or better than any I have seen on stage. Is it good? Yes. Is it one of the better choreographed shows? Yes. Is it the best? No way.

[zamedy]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 9:33pm

I've gone back and watched some clips on Youtube and I can now tell you that I think I just got a bad Billy. He was rather tall. The boy in the clips I've been watching was much shorter.. which made the scenes with the dance teacher seem to make a lot more sense.

And I have to say that after watching a clip of Solidarity, I agree that it was/is brilliant in every way. And it HAS stuck in my mind over the past few days. Unfortunately, I wasn't left with the same impression when I saw it in person. Even dancing-wise...the Billy in the clips is amazing. The Billy I saw was just.. okay. I wanted to be blown away by his dancing, believe me. But I never was.

I guess the lesson here is.. don't pass judgement on an entire show based on a scaled back touring production that's been on the road for quite some time.

"Solidarity, Solidarity. Solidarity Forever!"

Updated On: 10/2/12 at 09:33 PM

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 10:23pm

I think the op of this thread is a bit ignorant. Not every broadway show has to have automated sets to be good.

Also the character Michael is a cross-dresser and in love with billy, that's the way it is in the movie. What's wrong with that?

Sorry this show was Legally Blonde.

[booth0882]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 10:35pm

Maybe I am a little biased, but nothing can beat when my bff Peter Mazurowski performed as Billy in the Broadway production.

[Thparkaly]

Posted: 10/3/12 at 12:34am

I noticed the censoring of some of the language, but I didn't notice any score/script changes. Anyone know what they were?

[tourboi]

Posted: 10/3/12 at 1:14am

Booth, I think that the members of the current tour cast who (according to the playbill I have) were Tony nominated, and worked on Broadway and Production Contract tours would object to your blanket statement that SETA means lesser talent.

Further, I wouldn't expect a closing. Friends of mine involved in the tour tell me it's going great. And I'm sure you dont have access to the financials of the state of things on the show.

The tour is out through June.

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 10/3/12 at 10:06am

We didn't see a pit listed in the playbill. We have seats in the 5th row of the balcony and can see down into the pit and can usually see the stand lights of the musicians. The Fisher has a huge pit and if they weren't in the pit it seems odd. The conductor spent most of the time playing the keyboard in front of him. The ballet scene where he dances with his older self, sounded like it was a full 80-100 piece orchestra and not a small pit orchestra or band.

I will look again for a list of musicians.

I would very surprised if this closed early as it is part of a subscription season in most venues and thus a built in audience that already paid for the show. Updated On: 10/3/12 at 10:06 AM

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/3/12 at 2:25pm

Even on Broadway, many of the musicians were not in the pit but playing in isolated booths or different rooms. That could be the case.

Usually, touring companies do not travel with their entire pit, just the core musicians. They pick up musicians at every city they visit. This may be a reason why a full band isn't listed in the Playbill.

The Swan Lake pas de deux has always been a sound cue and not played live.

[moncruzz]

Posted: 10/3/12 at 3:49pm

Add me to the Billy lovers. Although the OP's reply with having a tall Billy is probably the issue here. Having an innocent-looking, SHORT and very young-looking Billy is a definite must to this production. It doesnt work if you're seeing a grown teenager doing pirouettes. It just isn't as impressive or as emotion-inducing. :)

[tourboi]

Posted: 10/3/12 at 4:24pm

My understanding is to help achieve a "studio sound" that Elton wanted, the brass and percussion are usually backstage in makeshift "studios". This helps create a cleaner "mix" in the soundboard and speakers. The BILLY tour uses, I think, 9-10 musicians, and travels 5, and picks up 4 locals.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/3/12 at 4:30pm

As mentioned, in my experience the playbills for tours don't list the added musicians they pick up from city to city. I think when I saw Chorus Line in Vancouver--and wasn't wise to that--Iw as confused because I saw four or five listed, but there were obviously many more.